The Road to 24 Hours of Le Mans

09.06.2016

Bahco World

TAGS: Bahco, Car, race, Alpine, 24h du Mans, Le Mans

In just a few more days, the longest race of the FIA World Endurance Championship will be upon us and pilots have spent months preparing for the mental and physical test that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The world’s oldest endurance event is turning 84 this year and officials are now ready following the test day on 5th June. The race will be held over the 18th and 19th June and fans are already eager to see teams set off for 24 hours of uninterrupted racing.

This year’s race will match the record for the largest 24 hour Le Mans race as 60 cars start on the grid, with each team of pilots eager to reach the podium as this round of the FIA WEC carries double points.

Looking to continue their success is the Signatech Alpine team who finished the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with an impressive win in the LMP2 category.

The number 36 car consisting of pilots Nicolas Lapierre, Gustavo Medezes and Stephane Reichelmi managed to clinch a victory in Belgium after a lengthy safety period. The team will be hoping for a home field advantage as both Signatech and Renault Alpine originated from France.

This year’s race will include the return of Garage 56, a slot reserved for innovative machinery. Despite not awarding an entry for Garage 56 in 2015, this years’ will see a modified Morgan LMP2 piloted by quadruple amputee Frédéric Sausset. The experimental car will allow Sausset to control the accelerator and brakes with his thighs while a prosthetic limb attached to his right arm will allow him to steer.

This year’s Le Mans looks set to be one to remember as Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas claims none of the big three LMP1 manufacturers will have a clean run. Anything can happen in 24 hours and the World Endurance Championships is always full of surprises so who knows which team will reign supreme on the top of the podium and who will spin out.